A Revealing Exchange Between Donald Trump and Kaitlan Collins
The president doesn’t understand how journalism works.
At the United Nations General Assembly, President Trump confronted CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins with a question regarding the Iran conflict. Trump disapproved of her presence, stating, "I'm surprised that CNN is here covering me. You should not be here covering me." The conversation exposed an understanding of journalism that was flawed on Trump's part, seeing stories as either favorable or unfavorable, reporters as either "friendly" or "terrible," and him as having the power to decide who covered him and who didn't.
Collins pointed out that the United Nations had allowed them to enter, despite Trump's view of press coverage. The incident underscored the delicate relationship between the press and the president, with the press pool existing to provide an unbroken and independent account of the president's public activities, a tradition that dates back to FDR.
The exchange illustrated how Trump, throughout his tenure, had struggled with the press, attempting to limit coverage, branding it as "fake news," and even targeting journalists for personal attacks.
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